1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for overlaying one video signal onto another video signal. More particularly, it relates to a system for combining a motion video signal from one source and an analog RGB signal from another source, such as a graphics signal generated from a computer as might be required in a personal computer-based video conferencing environment.
2. General Background
Recently, demand has increased for improved and convenient video conferencing systems. In response to such demand, personal computer-based video conferencing systems which offer real-time, point-to-point video conferencing, have recently been proposed, including such video conferencing systems which not only display the motion video images of the video conferencing participants, but which allow for the collaboration and sharing of data and computer programs between such participants. Such systems generally communicate via an integrated services digital network (ISDN), local area network, or even over the plain old telephone system (POTS).
Basically, in order to effect point-to-point video conferencing, an incoming motion video image from the non-local (far-side) party, must be decoded, converted to a video signal, and combined with a video signal from a local (near-side) camera. In addition, in the case of computer-based video conferencing, such video images must be further processed so that they may be combined with computer graphics, such as a user interface which controls the video conference session. Furthermore, in the computer-based video conferencing scenario, the computer is not only responsible for controlling the video conference session, but is also responsible for providing data, programs, and other material that is shared with the far-side party. Many of the aforementioned computer systems accomplish this result by the addition of internal circuitry or logic cards which accomplish the combination of the motion video and graphics directly.
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a display of the various types of images generated during a typical computer-based video conferencing session. More specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates a combined, or composite, image which might be displayed on the monitor of the person or person operating the video conferencing session on the local, or near-side, station who is communicating with another set of people who are located at a remote, or far-side, station. As seen in FIG. 1, preferably four windows are displayed, each containing different images which are either generated by the computer or by the various components of a video conferencing system. The window labeled 2 is the user's control center for initiating or terminating a video call or other functions as required for video conferencing, and is generated by a video conference control application or similar user interface program running on the computer on the near-side. As with other windows based applications, the video conference operator merely clicks on the desired task in order to effect that task. The window labeled 3 contains information generated by an application such as a spreadsheet, database or similar application, which is also running on the computer at the near-side. The data or other information contained therein may or may not be shared with the video conference participants on the far-side. Windows 4 and 5 are actually each composed of two components. More particularly, the window “frames” 6 are generated by the aforementioned video conference control application, while the content of these windows are created in the components of the video conferencing system. Near-side window 4 displays the image received at the local camera; e.g., the local video conference participant(s). The far-side window 5 displays the image received at the remote camera; e.g., the remote video conference participant(s).
FIG. 2 shows more clearly the image(s) created by the local computer. As seen therein, the contents of the near- and far-side windows are blank. (Although they are depicted in FIG. 2 as black, it will be appreciated that the contents may be arbitrary). On the other hand, FIG. 3 shows the image(s) created by the components of the video conferencing system; i.e., the images received by the near- and far-side cameras. When the above images are combined or “multiplexed”, the resulting display is as shown in FIG. 3.
One computer-based video conferencing system is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,954, entitled “PC-Based Conferencing System” (Arshi et al). In the system shown in Arshi, real-time audio, video and data conferencing is effected in non-real-time “windows” environment. In order to accomplish such conferencing, analog video signals from a camera are first digitized by a video board, then decoded by a video capture module and compressed via video microcode running on a pixel processor. After storing the resulting compressed video in VRAM, the system's ISA bus interface transmits the compressed video to a host interface running on the host processor, which in turn, passes the compressed video on to a video manager. After time-stamping the compressed video for synchronization with the audio signals, the compressed video is transmitted to a communications manager, which in turn passes the compressed video through a digital signal processing (DSP) interface to an Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA) bus interface of an audio/communications board which stores the compressed video in a memory. Once the compressed video is thus stored, it is formatted for ISDN transmission to a remote site.
Prior art systems such as discussed above have several disadvantages. For example, in order to effect computer-based video conferencing, such systems generally require modification to and/or addition of existing computer hardware and/or software, which in turn requires that a user open and remove the computer case. This is inconvenient and costly to the user, and subjects the computer to a number of extraneous problems. Although an alternative to opening the computer case would be to use an “add in” product, such as a standard PCI bus plug-in card, most current “add in” products require the use of a significant portion of the computer's resources and computation capability. This can impair the ability of the computer to share applications with another party to the video conference session; i.e., collaborative data conferencing. Therefore “add in” products are not a viable alternative. Another problem which occurs with modification of existing computer hardware and/or software is that such modifications might negatively impact the possibility for future modifications and enhancements to the computer. For example, changes to the system's IRQ or I/O are often required when implementing a video conferencing system, and such changes may impede or even preclude future changes and/or upgrades to the system which may be necessary to keep the computer viable in a given technological environment. Finally, it is desirable to provide a video conferencing system which can be used almost universally with most computers. For example, laptops which require high quality conferencing, network computers (NC), older, less powerful computers, and computers and terminals which come in a closed (i.e., sealed) case, are precluded from being used for video conferencing purposes when the video conferencing must be added directly to the computer. Effecting the video conferencing process outside of the case of the computing device allows the range of computing devices to be considerably broadened so as to include these aforementioned devices among others.
It would be desirable therefore, to provide a system for overlaying motion video signals on computer graphics such as would be used in a real-time computer video conferencing system, wherein such system would be operable within most computers, including laptops, network computers, and sealed computers, but would not require modification of existing computer hardware and software, and thus would not necessitate increased cost and added inconvenience to the user.